A motorway as a driver of regional growth
The Brenner Motorway, thanks to its strategic location along the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor, is a vital piece of infrastructure for the movement of people and goods, but also a key factor in the economic and social development of the regions it passes through.
(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) – The Brenner Motorway is not merely a transit route between Italy and Europe, but a driver of economic and social development for Northern Italy and an essential bridge between the Mediterranean and Central Europe. Its strategic location along the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor makes it a vital piece of infrastructure for the movement of people and goods, but also a key element in the economic and social development of the regions it passes through.
The A22 motorway passes through economically dynamic regions such as Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige , acting as a driving force for the growth of local manufacturing clusters. It is, to all intents and purposes, the most important cluster in Europe in terms of added value, as it comprises Lombardy – which ranks first in Europe in terms of GDP – Veneto, which ranks sixth, and Emilia-Romagna, which ranks eighth: in fact, there is no other area in Europe with a population of 20 million capable of generating this level of added value. In this context, motorways undoubtedly play a significant role. Thanks to its links with other motorway routes (the A1 and A4), the A22 facilitates exports by manufacturing firms to Northern European markets; the import of raw materials and intermediate products, and integrated logistics, promoting the creation of intermodal hubs such as those in Verona, Trento and Bolzano. Suffice it to say that around 11 per cent of the country’s total exports pass through the Brenner, and over 60 million tonnes of goods are transported by road and rail. Furthermore, the Brenner Motorway generates direct economic value through revenue, investment and maintenance, and indirect value thanks to its role as a strategic artery for the local and national economy. To put this into numerical terms, last year the value created exceeded 561 million euros, whilst core revenue stood at 556.672 million.
The motorway also generates value for employment, both directly and indirectly. Directly, through the management, maintenance and services provided by the company; indirectly, through the growth of the logistics, tourism and commercial sectors in the areas surrounding the motorway toll booths. Towns such as Rovereto, Trento Nord and Egna-Ora have seen the emergence of industrial estates and logistics centres precisely because of their proximity to the A22, which acts as a driving force in attracting investment and fostering the creation of new businesses.
In addition to freight transport, the A22 plays a strategic role in Alpine and cultural tourism. Thousands of visitors from Austria, Germany and the Netherlands use it every year to reach tourist destinations in Trentino, South Tyrol and Lake Garda. In 2024 alone, the number of vehicles using the motorway network exceeded 70 million, whilst railway companies operated almost 30,000 trains.
